User 2.0: Innovative Library Sites (Part 1 – Academic Libraries)

You may recognize this illustration from the work published in Diffusion of Innovations (1995) by the late Everett Rogers. A few weeks ago I posted a query on the dig_ref listserv asking this savvy group of librarians interested in virtual reference services to nominate the library sites that are the most “innovative” in terms of integrating Web 2.0 / social software applications. I have also incorporated sites discussed in programs I attended at ALA Mid-Winter in Seattle (January 2007), suggested by colleagues, or noted in listservs or journal articles.

Today I am posting the preliminary list of Innovative Academic Libraries from these sources. Eash listing also has a very brief note about social software applications featured by the library’s website. I would like to thank David M. Dragos, Ph.D. student at Rutgers SCILS and Lynn Silipigni Connaway of OCLC for their help in compiling this list.

Again, this list is preliminary and not meant to be exhaustive, but rather to start a discussion. They are in alphabetical order.

I would like to invite you to leave a comment if your academic library is an innovator or if you know of others!

My next post (within the next day or so) will be Part 2 – Innovative Public Libraries.

12 Comments

1.Wayne | February 21, 2007 at 10:33 am

You should take a look at the University of Minnesota Libraries’ UThink, by which the Libraries make it possible for all University students, staff, and faculty to create their own blogs with minimal hassle. There are currently 4284 blogs with 54148 entries.

Also, the libraries maintain their staff pages in a wiki, where all of their planning documents – even, in fact, their budgets – are open for the world to see. Now that’s radical transparency!

2.Marie L. Radford | February 21, 2007 at 2:52 pm

Thanks so much, I will check it out!

3.Laura | February 21, 2007 at 3:46 pm

Dowling College Library has been podcasting since 2005, created toolbars specifically for our business and education students, provides a library news feed, a Flickr account, and IM reference.

4.Bill Drew | February 21, 2007 at 4:03 pm

Marie – In addition to what you mentioned already for Morrisville State College Libraries, we also use Google CSE as our search engine for our website and selected resources. I just added Igloo chat box that allows pour users to chat with our reference desk without having to install any software. We also have had some type of chat based reference service since 1994. It started out being a web based form and now uses AIM. Keep up the great work. We are also experimenting with a wiki for staff use.

5.Steve Lawson | February 21, 2007 at 6:28 pm

Wow, neat to see Tutt Library on your list! Of course, I think mostly of all the work we have yet to do (like completely revamping the main library website), so it’s nice that someone would mention us for what we have been trying to do so far.

6.Marie L. Radford | February 22, 2007 at 2:18 pm

Thanks for all those who commented. I am updating the list soon.

7.Jeffrey | February 26, 2007 at 3:42 pm

I have another one for you: the Lamson Library at Plymouth State University in Plymouth, NH. One of their librarians developed WPopac, an OPAC based on WordPress: http://www.plymouth.edu/library/opac/

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